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Los Angeles: Vice President Kamala Harris took a jab at Republican contender Donald Trump during a lavish fundraiser on Sunday. She told attendees that as she travels across the country, her “crowds are pretty big.” Harris is set to head to Nevada for a rally at the same location where Trump appeared two weeks ago.
During a recent presidential debate, Harris seemed to get under Trump’s skin when she remarked that people were leaving his rallies early due to his lengthy speeches. She’s maintained that momentum while campaigning.
Harris also ventured into Trump’s territory—immigration—by visiting Douglas, Arizona, a border town, marking her first trip to the U.S.-Mexico border since rising to the top of the Democratic presidential ticket in place of President Joe Biden.
Her four-day trip along the West Coast has been designed with two objectives: kicking off and wrapping up her journey in key battleground states, Arizona and Nevada, where she is working to boost support amid Trump’s relentless attacks on her immigration policies. The California portion of her trip focused on gathering campaign contributions from donors in her blue home state.
Trump didn’t take kindly to Harris’s visit to the border. Over two days, he blasted her during his rallies, intensifying personal attacks and blaming her for what he described as a border “invasion.” He also fueled baseless fears that she would incite lawlessness if elected.
In response to Trump’s derogatory remarks, including calling her “mentally impaired,” Harris reiterated her usual stance. “We’re just seeing the same old tired show from the same old tired playbook,” she said to a Los Angeles crowd, which responded by shouting “boring!”
Harris highlighted the competitiveness of the race, describing it as a “margin-of-error” scenario. However, she assured the Los Angeles audience, “The election is here and let me be clear: we are going to win.”
The fundraiser attracted a host of celebrities, including Stevie Wonder, Keegan-Michael Key, Sterling K. Brown, Demi Lovato, Jessica Alba, and Lily Tomlin, with performances by Halle Bailey and Alanis Morissette. The events in Los Angeles and a prior one in San Francisco brought in a combined total of $55 million for Harris’s campaign.
The vice president is making strides in gaining Republican support. Former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake recently endorsed her, praising her character and commitment to the country. He expressed a desire for a president who does not view political opponents as enemies or attempt to undermine the voters’ will. Flake joins a group of anti-Trump Republicans vowing to support the Democratic ticket, including former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz.
However, Maryland Senate candidate Larry Hogan, a former Republican governor and vocal Trump critic, stated that Harris has yet to win his vote, even though he won’t vote for Trump.
In Nevada, where Harris was set to hold a rally Sunday night, all voters receive ballots by mail automatically unless they choose to opt out. This change, made during the pandemic, is now codified in state law, meaning ballots could be sent out in the coming weeks.
Harris is scheduled to return to Las Vegas on October 10 for a town hall meeting with Hispanic voters. Both she and Trump have frequently campaigned in the city, recognizing the crucial role of Nevada’s six electoral votes in what is expected to be an extremely tight election.
On September 13, Trump held his rally at the Expo World Market Center in Las Vegas, the same venue where Harris spoke on Sunday. She has also held events at locations used by Trump in Milwaukee, Atlanta, and suburban Phoenix.
During a campaign event in Las Vegas in June, Trump promised to eliminate taxes on tips for waiters, hotel staff, and countless other service industry workers. Harris echoed this commitment during her own Las Vegas rally in August.
A complete repeal of federal taxes on tips would likely require congressional approval. Nonetheless, the Culinary Union, representing 60,000 hospitality workers in Las Vegas and Reno, has endorsed Harris. Ted Pappageorge, the culinary union’s secretary-treasurer, emphasized that Harris’s proposal includes addressing “sub-minimum wage” practices, where employers pay service workers low salaries while relying on tips to meet minimum wage requirements.
“That demonstrates she’s serious,” Pappageorge stated.
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